Page 104 - The Light Dragoon 2024

In 2019 Hector commissioned into the Light Dragoons following in his father’s footsteps. After 44 weeks of perseverance, RMAS produced another fine Light Dragoon. Upon commissioning Hector went down to Bovington via the Brecon Beacons to start his Tp Ldrs’ Course. A place where he could undo some of the ‘moulding’ that had taken place at Sandhurst. Most of this was inflicted by a large Turkish man when half the course crumpled like a ‘Caen’ on a night out. As the rest of the course went to the riding centre to earn their spurs, family tradition stood in the way. The now infamous line of ‘Nortons don’t ride’, was put to good use not only to save his blushes but his mount.
When he was received by the Regiment, Hector went straight into B Sqn at a time of regimental rebuilding. Hector and his troop deployed on Wessex Storm minus with the SCOTS DG. A fantastic opportunity to be away with his troop and to represent the Light Dragoons. The rest of Hector’s time in the Guards was spent harassing the other two Sqns playing enemy on various occasions with a militia formed of what was left from a Sqn ripped apart. On the news of potential operations there was a 50/50 chance of Poland or Mali. With luck on his side, a suntan was on the cards.
On his move to the Empire, Hector slotted in with ease and a bromance was born with Sgt Thurtle, his troop sergeant. This was
WO2 Costello, or Cossie to his friends, joined the Army in Feb 1999. Initially he was going to join the Green Howards but was persuaded to join the Light Dragoons, the finest cavalry regiment in the British Army by SSgt Norman Ellis.
He arrived at ATR Winchester on 22 Feb ‘99 with Mark Woods, another LD and struck up a lifelong friendship. After he breezed through PH1 training, he then attended PH2 at Bovington, where he continued to do well. It was at Bovington that his future was shaped as a DMI.
Cossie joined the Regiment in Hohne, Germany in Nov ‘99 and within 6 months deployed to Bosnia, with B sqn, on Op PALLATINE, as the troop leader’s driver. On returning from Tour, he joined the Regiment in Swanton Morley, with them having relocated while he was away.
2003 saw Cossie deploy to Iraq on Op TELIC 2 as a CVR(T) (Striker) Driver in a Guided Weapons’ Troop. He mostly
Hector Norton
also just as COVID hit, and Hector fully embraced the lockdown frat house life. PDT consisted of BBQs, prison workouts and test match spike ball. Hector put his wingspan to good use and his first serve will live forever in mess folklore. PDT wasn’t just spike ball but also included MRX and language courses. Coffee and Bambara became a staple of mess life with Hector as head barista and tutor, only to find out the region we were deploying to did not speak the national language. Upon deployment, Hector’s reach was put to good use again, with a 100% record against the Sgt’s Mess in volleyball. Hector’s biggest influence on the Sqn was arguably culture, being the resident film buff, he proceeded to educate the Sqn chain of command to raise them from the depths of Gavin and Stacey reruns. Hector was famed for his interaction with the locals while on tour. Unfortunately, this did not spread to the local Armed Forces who gave his troop a nice welcome with a burst of AK fire to make sure they knew they were there.
Post POTL Hector was destined for RHQ and he took over the IO post being one of the only officers in the mess who the first part of the job title applied to. Embracing the fairy-tale scenario of Wessex Storm he jumped in with both feet, with an uncanny knack of calculating percentage likelihoods of any scenario thrown at him, almost as if he was coming up with them out of thin air. After this, Hector was destined for greater
WO2 M Costello
sweated his back wheels off and got a dig in the ribs from Colin Crompton for being in the med centre for 2 days due to dehydration!
Cossie attended and passed PTI Class 3 Course at Aldershot and became a Sqn PTI for B Sqn, under the watchful eye of Keith ‘Dinger’ Bell. During his time as a PTI, he was posted to 1RTR as a decontamination commander, and was also promoted to LCpl.
When Cossie returned to RD from his jolly with 1RTR, he found himself on PDT for Op HERRICK 5 in 2006, this time as a gunner in a CVR(T) with 3CDO BDE. He took part in the Jugroom Fort Operation where the Royal Marines raided the fort under the close watch of C Sqn. In 2007 Cossie attended and passed CVR(T) DMI course at Bovington. He then attended and passed Support Troopers’ Course at Gibraltar Barracks, successfully passed the CVR(T) Crew Commanders Course and once again found himself on PDT, this time it was on Op HERRICK 10 in 2009
things, in the form of stand-in Adjt, and while his influence on the Officers’ Mess over these two weeks was immeasurable, despite his best efforts, it did not earn him a place on the Adjt’s board. However, this period of activity had earnt him the oppor- tunity to head to North Macedonia in the West Balkans Regional Coordination Cell, where he organised and ran multiple multi- national exercises while he saw out his time in the Army.
Hector will be missed by all that had the pleasure of his company within the Regiment. And we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
as a Crew Commander with Lt Disney, Sgt Lawson and Cpl Bowman. It was here during Operation Panthers’ Claw where he
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